Friday, July 22, 2016

Lydiard Millicent burial ground

The village of Lydiard Millicent is just a twenty minute bus journey from the centre of Swindon and I could easily walk there from my home in West Swindon. Unfortunately the narrow, winding road that leads to the village has no footpath, not even a grass verge, and perhaps that's how the villagers would like to keep things. It's easy to see why residents want to keep sprawling Swindon at bay.

The history of Lydiard Millicent is intrinsically bound with its neighbour Lydiard Tregoze and the St John family who owned property in both parishes.

The churchyard at All Saints Church closed at approximately the same time as the one at St Mary's and the villagers also had to look for a new burial ground; at least theirs was within view of the church. The cemetery was extended in the 1950s and is in two halves separated by a stone built wall.

I spent yesterday afternoon taking photographs of the older half and imagine my delight at finding an Ody buried there.

Look out for further blogposts about those buried in the cemetery at Lydiard Millicent.

Good Gentlewoman

This blog began life as Status, Scandal and Subterfuge, a story about the St John ladies of Lydiard Park, Wiltshire. However, the Ladies have proved so fascinating that I have extended my research to other branches of the family and launched this new website Good Gentlewoman.